Chapter 13: Chapter 13

My gut curls in on itself. “I’m beginning to understand why she got so frustrated at being locked up, not able to do anything….”

“Hang on to that thought.”

“I’ll let Richard know we’ve heard from her. That should cheer him up. Beth too.”

“Good idea.” Michael leans back against the desk, hands in his pockets. “Has he spoken to you the last day or so?”

“Barely at all. I’d say he’s trapped between joy at having Beth back and guilt that we didn’t get Charlotte.”

“Yeah….” He huffs. “I think I’d feel the same. As you say, give him a call. Put them out of their misery.”

I set the phone to loudspeaker, then call. The phone rings only once before Richard answers, his voice strained. “Yes, James?”

“Good news. We’ve heard from Charlotte.”

“Oh, my God!” Twenty floors separate us, and I can hear him stand up. “Is she alright?”

Michael’s eyes dance in the first real shot we’ve had at humour in days.

“She’s free,” I say, “And she’s on the move. Is it convenient if Michael and I come up to talk?”

“Yes, of course.” His voice breaks away from the mouthpiece, somehow echoing and muffled at once, but still clearly audible. “Elizabeth, it’s James. They’ve heard from Charlotte.”

Beth’s voice starts distantly but grows loud by the end of a few short words. “Oh, thank God. Where is she?”

“They’re coming up to talk. James, have you told Will Stanton yet? Do you want me to call him?”

“No, don’t. That’s what we need to talk about.”

His puzzlement is loud. “Really? Very well. Come up as soon as you’re ready. We’ll be here.”

“On our way.”

It’s an emotional meeting. As we enter their apartment, Beth bursts into tears, throwing herself into Michael’s arms where, slightly awkwardly, he pats her on the back, trying to ‘touch without touching’.

Richard cocks a brow, but his eyes crinkle as he watches the performance. Then he turns, shakes my hand, taking my elbow in the other hand. “James, words fail me. This last few days….”

“It’s alright,” I say. “She’s fine, and it’s clear that she’s very much functioning.” Michael disentangles himself from Beth’s trembling embrace while I recount the conversation of a few minutes prior.

*****

A few hours later, we both receive a single short message.

On my way Then nothing for a full day, until:

Almost there And again, nothing else for some time.

Before, I was in despair, but now, blinded by the love of my Jade-Eyes, wondering what happens next, I am crippled by hope.

And we wait…. endlessly….

*****

Richard Michael paces up and down, his face a brewing storm as he grows more and more agitated. Something is building in him and I'm not sure I want to be in the way of it when it bursts.…

James, unspeaking, watches him. He can see as well as I can that something is about to blow.

She’s coming….

…. but when?

My thoughts must show in my face. Michael looks at me askance. “What?”

“Do you blame me for this?”

He swings his head, brow furrowed. “Why would I blame you?”

“If I had forbidden Charlotte…”

He cuts me off. “If she wouldn’t take it from me or James, I don’t think you would have gotten anywhere.” His voice is bitter. “Charlotte does what Charlotte does. Perhaps we all simply have to live with that if we want her in our lives.”

I had lost my wife and they had Charlotte….

She brought Elizabeth to me, but at what price?

It’s taking too long….

…. Has she been recaptured?

I can't say that....

They must be thinking it themselves.…

Michael continues to pace, his face bloodless, shoulders knotting, knuckles balled white.

With a scream of pure rage and frustration, his fist swings up and, the full power of his arm and shoulders behind the blow, he punches at the door. Were it to connect with a face, it would certainly knock the recipient out cold. It might kill them. As it is, his fist bursts clean through the timber and out the other side.

James flinches, his breathing accelerating….

How dangerous is Michael? If he is seriously upset?

He seems a good man….

Keeping my voice level, I tap on the intercom, “Francis, I wonder if you could ask someone from Maintenance to call by. There is some repair work needed in here.”

But now, his rage apparently dispersed, Michael hangs his head, blinking. He extracts his hand from the splintered timber, then looks apologetically at me. “I'm sorry. I'll pay for the repairs of course.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You wouldn’t be in this position if Charlotte hadn’t set out to rescue Elizabeth.”

I survey the damage. “I've felt like doing that myself a time or two through all this.”

Then my gaze falls to Michael’s hand. “But you need to get a dressing on that.” I nod down to where blood trickles, dripping onto the expensive carpet, apparently without him realising.

James offers a clean handkerchief, which Michael wraps around his hand, heading for the bathroom.

James’ voice is dry. “Hope he feels better for that.”

*****

James is intent, scrolling through something on his laptop.

Then I realise that, in fact, it’s Charlotte’s laptop.

“What are you looking at?”

A smile tugs at his mouth. “Her browsing history.”

Really?

I cock a brow…. “You don't think that's a bit like spying on her?”

He sniffs. “With everything that's happened, I think we can assume that if she didn't want me to see it, Charlotte would have deleted the information. She would have known it was one of the first things I'd look at.”

“And of course, you are her Dom.…”

His voice is dry. “Am I? I'm glad you think so.…”

Time to change the subject….

“What's in the history?”

He sits back, fingers steepled. “She’s been teaching herself to hack.”

I suppress the urge to laugh.

Why am I not surprised?

At least she’s consistent….

“Hack? Hack what?”

“The surveillance system for this building for a start.”

Hmmm….

“That's a lot to learn very quickly, isn't it?”

“In case you hadn’t got it yet, Charlotte is a quick study, and she's taken a few shortcuts by using apps she's tracked down on the Dark Net.”

“You’re kidding… How the hell would she know her way around that?”

He stares at the ceiling. “How do you think she found a place to auction herself? You can be sure it wasn't on Amazon or eBay. And she told me some while ago that she found it easy to do. I always meant to ask her more, but never got around to it.”

I ponder the implications of having a talented cyber-criminal on my pay.

I can hardly doubt her trustworthiness….

But why would she be doing this?

“Did you know about this before she left?”

“I knew she’d hacked into some security systems she shouldn’t have. She was using the information to access webcams through the City. I told her not to say anything in case Will Stanton found out. Now, I’m realising that played right into her hands.”

I chew over his words…. “Why would she want to hack the systems here? It’s not information she used to make her escape. That was just diversion and good planning.”

He sits back in his chair, nodding slowly. “Practice? A practice run for something else?” he muses.

Jesus….

He looks me in the eye. “You want me to change the security codes?” he asks.

?

?

“No…. She’s loyal. No matter what else Charlotte is, she’s loyal. Whatever her intentions, it won’t be to cause any damage here. Let it stand.”

*****